Strange Familiar's new album sheds 'Light' on darker subjects

by April Helms
special products editorPublished: May 9, 2014 12:00AM

The members of The Strange Familiar have continued to make their mark on the music world. The band, led by Cuyahoga Falls natives and husband and wife team Jeff Andrea and Kira Leyden Andrea, have had several of their songs featured on television series, including "The Biggest Loser," "Pretty Little Liars," "The Vampire Diaries," "Brothers and Sisters" and "The Secret Life of an American Teenager."

Most recently, The Strange Familiar released a new album, "The Day The Light Went Out."

"It's been a whirlwind of activity," said Kira in a telephone interview. "I think the latest album has a different sound. The other ones have more of a singer-songwriter feel. This is darker, but more fun, a journey from beginning to end."

The 10-song album covers a lot of darker themes, including addiction, grief and death, Kira said. But one of the songs reflects a very special moment that happened about a year ago, she added: the birth of their daughter Rayne.

"It was sort of a lullaby for our child," Kira said of the song, called "Rain." "I just wanted to write a song for her. When the others heard it, they said 'let's do this one.' I was actually surprised it wound up on the record."

Currently, Kira said the group is working on music videos to go with the album. Two were being shot at the time of this interview. She added she hoped The Strange Familiar can go on a series of regional tours to promote the album sometime this summer, but details were still being worked on.

For details on The Strange Familiar and the new albbum, visit www.thestrangefamiliar.com online. The Strange Familiar also can be found on Facebook.